Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rumors: Tim Tebow Worth a Look?

By Gil Alcaraz IV

Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

With the recent news that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released Josh Freeman, the team suddenly has a hole on the quarterback depth chart that must be filled in the near future. Could Tim Tebow, a Florida native and fan favorite, be signed to bring some optimism to a team that’s falling apart at the seams?

At first, it sounds like a silly assertion.

Tebow is clearly not an NFL-caliber quarterback, and the Buccaneers appear set with Glennon as their starter moving forward. Still, behind Glennon, Tampa Bay doesn’t have anyone worth bragging about.

At this point, the only quarterback the Buccaneers have behind Glennon is Dan Orlovsky, arguably one of the worst backups in the NFL. Orlovsky has always been an inept passer whenever he sees the field, and is a horrid insurance policy behind a rookie. While Tebow has his own handful of passing problems, he’s easily a better option than Orlovsky.

Seeing as Glennon is a lanky, unathletic quarterback, Tebow could also bring a dynamic running ability to the Tampa Bay offense. The Buccaneers could use both passers to their advantage, implementing a package where they could put the ball in Tebow’s hands and let him make plays with his feet. Again, it’s not a solve-all but it would be a type of change-up that should be welcomed by the Buccaneers.

Especially with the recent fan reaction to the drama surrounding head coach Greg Schiano and Freeman, bringing in a character like Tebow would not only raise fan morale, but also give the locker room a boost. He’s an electric personality who can re-energize fans and cultivate some excitement around a Buccaneers team that’s heading into a bye week at 0-4.

If anything, Schiano would have a new cheerleader on the sideline who excels at rallying the troops.

The Buccaneers’ 2013 season is already in the toilet. It’s not like signing Tebow could do any further damage at this point. At the lowest level, it’s a PR move that fills seats and sells merchandise.